First rounders were too valuable to give up in this draft class for practically all of the clubs. Anyone who had expectations of that for Satan or Fedotenko could tell it was not going to work that way for any club this year.

At the end of the day I think the Isles picked their posion between being bullied without Chris Simon vs giving Jeff Tambellini the rest of the season and improving this teams speed and offensive skill that is badly needed in this lineup.

I think the Isles made the right call here.

I was shocked the Isles moved Simon after such a strong show of public support for him the last year but even Simon himself was looking for a change. I have no doubt Charles Wang, Ted Nolan and Garth Snow and the club stood by him because for as long as they did because they felt it was the right thing to do. I disagreed with letting him return to the ice but I respect them for taking responciblity and the loyality they showed. Simon now is back in the league with another chance and the respect for him from many of the players speak for itself. I wish him luck.

A year ago the New York Islanders badly needed a shot from the point from the powerplay and acquired Marc-Andre Bergeron, who without his great shot would not have made the playoffs a year ago. Today they are back in the position they were before that deal (without Chris Campoli) and for all the criticism made about his defense at times did a lot better than he got credit for.

I have no doubt the Isles last night against Pittsburgh with Bergeron would have scored with his big shot or it would have produced a rebound goal. It may also have produced a turnover for a shorthanded goal but to me it was a risk still worth taking for the rest of the season and a deal that could be fatal down the stretch.

Brian Burke has Pronger, Niedemayer and added him to his depth chart for the same reasons, sing no sad songs for Bergeron unless he rides the bench in Anaheim because he's going to a cup contender who could repeat.

Isles now have Freddy Meyer, Bryan Berard, Bruno Gervais and Radek Martinek as their powerplay defenders. If this were done to give Dustin Kohn or an incoming pp quarterback a spot, I could see it.

I'm having a hard time seeing this for the same reasons a year ago Ted Nolan said he had to aquire a shot from the point for the powerplay. A third rounder is not going to help now.

I hope subtracting his defense was worth it.

Overall every team in this division added and those are clubs Isles have to play for most of the rest of the season.********************************************************Good hockey trades around the league and a few shockers.

Colorado-Columbus: They gave a conditional first rounder for Adam Foote? He's not that good a defender anymore.

Atlanta-Pittsburgh: Don Waddell get's back his first rounder from a year ago and Angelo Esposito with some solid depth players. Pittsburgh goes for the cup with Hossa and a returning Crosby/Roberts. Kovalchuk cannot be happy with losing Hossa because he's loaded with skill.

Washington-Montreal: Strangest deal of the day, the Corey Price era begins, the Olaf Kolzig era of being number one ends. George McPhee traded like his job was on the line today and went for it which hurts the Isles but it may not work.

Buffalo-San Jose: Steve Bernier and a first rounder is a good return, but why can't Darcy Regier ever open the bank at the right time? This is how he got himself in the same spot with his free agents last summer. A full commitment to Campbell should have been made just like Tampa did with Boyle.

Rangers-Phoenix: Sather calls up Don Maloney and trades Montoya to a club that seemed to solve it's goaltending problems earlier this year long-term? Not exactly upcoming stars in return.

Tampa Bay-Dallas: That's a heck of a hockey deal from both sides. Tampa addresses it's goaltending with Mike Smith and uses Richard's money to lock up Boyle while adding some good sandpaper players while Dallas get's some major speed and skill to go with Modano and the veterans.

Chicago-Ottawa: Martin Lapoite for a sixth rounder, how the mighty have fallen since he got that big contract.

Toronto-Impossible to blame Cliff Fletcher for players not moving no trade clauses they had negotiated into their contracts. He did what he could with little to move and got a few picks.

3 comments:

My view on Bergeron was he wasn't getting along. I think the incident he had with one of the assistants way back on the five on three PP probably did more to undo him than his D. Bad D + that type of incident likely outweighed the shot. They may also have had some other deal for D brewing that ended up falling through or something.

At the end of the day, I agree they'll miss him in the short term on the PP.

I don't see the one things months ago being any factor at all in his trade. There were games after that Bergeron and Gallant left the ice with big smiles together.

Both also gave long interviews saying it was no big deal.

To me it boiled down to the Isles perfered better defense as opposed to his shot and Witt is about to return. I hope the pp can survive without that shot because those nine goals were critical on that back line.

Also with Witt, Campoli, Sutton, Meyer and Martinek all under contract for next year and Gervais likely going to get a contract plus how much the club likes Johnson in the end it was his spot they consider expendable.

I would not have moved him now but in the summer if they do not qualify him, they get nothing.

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